However, there are many aquatic species of algae that are epiphytes on other aquatic plants (seaweeds or aquatic angiosperms). Epiphytic plants are sometimes called 'air plants' because they do not root in soil. The term epiphytic derives from the Greek epi- (meaning 'upon') and phyton (meaning 'plant'). Įpiphyte is one of the subdivisions of the Raunkiær system.

Epiphytes provide a rich and diverse habitat for other organisms including animals, fungi, bacteria, and myxomycetes. Epiphyte species make good houseplants due to their minimal water and soil requirements. Epiphytes are usually found in the temperate zone (e.g., many mosses, liverworts, lichens, and algae) or in the tropics (e.g., many ferns, cacti, orchids, and bromeliads). An organism that grows on another organism that is not a plant may be called an epibiont. Epiphytes differ from parasites in that they grow on other plants for physical support and do not necessarily affect the host negatively. Typically, the older parts of a plant will have more epiphytes growing on them. They are an important source of food for many species. Epiphytes take part in nutrient cycles and add to both the diversity and biomass of the ecosystem in which they occur, like any other organism. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phorophytes. Tillandsia bourgaei growing on an oak tree in MexicoĪn epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it.

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